Over the past few months, we have been posting weekly entries from diaries in the collection. As a treat we’ve assembled a list of all the excerpts. Why not Tweet/Facebook your favourite? This way we can give you more of what you like. The date for each entry e.g 2 December 1942 is a link to a post. Click on the date to read the post. 2 December 1942 – The Bicycle Thieves. 5 December 1953 – Party party! 15 December and 29 December 1927 – Cold weather and hot politics. 20 December 1851 – How my wife gave birth [...]

19 April From GDP/8 John Leeson John Leeson (1803-1865) owned and rented out property in London. In his diaries, he regularly recorded a mixture of his business dealings, family news, and politics. Here, he relates in unusually effusive terms, his brush with danger in a run-away carriage. 20 April 1861 Mrs. Tunks spent a few days with us - & when we came home from London in a fly – the horse ran away with me alone in it from our house, he providentially stop’d at his old stable nr. Addison Road. I have much cause to be thankful to [...]

12 April From GDP/27 Ida May Berry Ida May Berry (1884-1959) lived in West Didsbury, near Manchester when she wrote this diary. Here, as her family move to a new house, she marks the end of her diary. The New Year has dawned, and my diary has come to an end. All the events chronicled here happened at Northern Grove, and as we are going to remove, there will be no need to keep a further record, as the scenes are changing. We leave the delights of the “Past” behind and hope that the Future still holds Happiness in store [...]

5 April From GDP/31 AR AR (1905-1993) grew up in Stepney. She kept a diary regularly as a young woman, and later made occasional entries when particularly significant events happened. Here, she records her son’s Bar Mitzvah and her daughter’s wedding. July 1949 An exciting year! A [the diarist’s son] got Barmitzvahed on April 24 – we had a lovely party, and he said his speech very well, without any shyness – and everything went smoothly. On July 7th – last week, G [the diarist’s daughter] got married – Its [sic] hard to realize – it seems such a little [...]

From GDP/30 WK WK (born 1932) grew up in Hampshire. He kept a diary from the age of nine, in which he recorded the daily happenings in his life. Here, he describes the dire predictions of a fortune-teller. 28 April 1950 Went to Young Conservatives this evening. A quarterly business meeting, very badly run. Got into conversation afterwards with a chap who turned out to be a palm reader. I am to be a bachelor, and to die about 30 of a serious illness. What rot these folk talk – he said I was nervous. [N.B. the diarist married in [...]

21 March From GDP/32 Anonymous This anonymous diary was kept by someone resident in London between 1735 and 1736. It records the religious services attended by its author. Most of these took place at the non-conformist chapel in Ropemaker’s Alley, Moorfields (which later moved to Aldermanbury Postern). In this entry, the author gives a brief description of a sermon preached by Peter Goodwin, the congregation’s minister between 1730 and 1747, on a text taken from Ephesians ch. 2 v. 8. Mr. Goodwin at Ropem’rs ally Even 21st Mar 1735[/6]: 2 Eph 8: For by Grace are ye saved thro faith [...]

2 March From GDP/28 Ida May Berry Ida May Berry (1884-1959) lived in West Didsbury, near Manchester when she wrote this diary. She was heavily involved in her local Methodist chapel, and attended many meetings there. 2 March 1905 We went to the Devotional. Mr. Saunders gave a beautiful paper on “suffering” we did enjoy the meeting.

The Oldest Diary in the Collection Thanks to a chance acquisition, the collection of the Great Diary Project now covers a period of almost 300 years. In a recent donation to Bishopgate Institute, we discovered a pair of small, unprepossessing volumes, which contain an account of someone’s religious activities in the years 1735 and 1736. In minute handwriting, the writer documents a number of sermons he or she attended during those years. Meticulously recorded for each sermon are the date, location, preacher, text(s), and arguments. Most of the sermons were preached by Peter Goodwin, minister at the non-conformist chapel at [...]